Residents ask whether Highway 90 donation includes entire Whittle property; council says only parcels DOT needs

During public comment, a resident asked whether the proposed donation to the Florida Department of Transportation covers the entire Whittle property and adjoining Turtle parking lot parcels.

Howard Steele, who identified himself as from the City of Milton and gave a Saratoga Avenue address, asked, "Is it the entire lot that DOT they're talking about donating to DOT?" The chair responded that the donation concerns the Whittle property (now a passive park) and two parcels that make up the Turtle parking lot, but noted a city right‑of‑way running between the Turtle parcels "will have to be dealt with separately solely by city council." Steele also asked whether prior Capital Improvement Board (CIB) discussions on reconfiguration would affect the donation; the chair said DOT would receive only the land it needs.

Council members said they would clarify the right‑of‑way and any needed reconfiguration through existing city processes rather than through the grant or donation itself. No formal vote or deed language was recorded in the transcript; the council instead invited further review and public input before any final transfer.